Week 26: Foreigner - “The Very Best... and Beyond”
As I was approaching the half way point of my one full year of blogging, I knew that I needed to briefly depart from my normal format and possibly do a little something special. After tossing around a few different ideas, including attempting to choose my absolute favourite album and review it (which proved to be impossible), here it is: a true “Flashback Friday” (note: typing those words is causing slight indigestion).
Throughout this blog, I have mentioned the constant presence of music in my life – and I mean that in the most literal sense. I have memories of being a chubby toddler, playing while watching country music videos on CMT or singing at small town jamborees (alongside my sister and grandfather) at the age of three. I even remember standing in line for hours at the shopping mall box office with my mom and sister to secure tickets to what would be my first concert ever - Shania Twain during her “Come on Over” tour – at around age six. Even more great memories lie in our cherished family road trips. My dad loves cars and loves to drive (and thus, has a bit of a lead foot), making CD selection a very important role in not only maintaining his sanity, but also in getting to our destination as fast as possible. Many of the staples have remained in rotation to this day, including Thornley’s “Come Again”, Default’s “The Fallout”, a lot of Nickelback (I won’t take your snarky remarks seriously until you truly listen to their first albums and make valid arguments against them), The Cars “Greatest Hits”, an d this week’s album, Foreigner’s “The Very Best…and Beyond”. On a side note, Nazareth’s “Greatist Hits” album was also included intermittently; however it was temporarily “left at home” when we were younger, as we had a tendency to sing along to “Hair of the Dog” just a little bit too loudly.
This British-American rock band formed in the late 1970’s and still tours to this day – in fact, they’re currently the opening act for southern rocker Kid Rock this summer. With worldwide record sales of over 80 million units, they are also considered one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. But that’s not what drew me to them. Apart from the obvious nostalgia that emerges as soon as the first song blares over the speakers, their music is quite incredible. From straight up rock songs with great guitar riffs to powerful ballads, this compilation of their greatest hits (released before I was even born) reminds me that rock music can truly be timeless.
Two high energy tracks kick off this collection, with the first being “Soul Doctor”. As previously mentioned, this song is off and running as soon as the driving guitar and pounding drums come in – shortly followed by vocalist Lou Gramm’s signature shrill voice. My favourite part is actually the prechorus, with its pulled-apart musical elements and off-beat vocal melody that builds the energy for the impending chorus. Chock full of brief, perfectly executed vocal runs, “Prisoner of Love” is an upbeat love song that inspires lovers to move mountains – literally. Between the pulsing piano and rhythm guitar, the chorus is one that demands singing at the top of your lungs while executing your best 80’s rocker power stance. Many of you might not know just how much I love hair metal, and therefore a good old fashioned power ballad. Brace yourself for one of my top picks, “With Heaven on Our Side”. Complete with electronic drums, a sexy shaker beat, some organ sounding synth and a pounded out piano melody, it starts out fairly low key – in both complexity and vocal register. Gaining speed as the second verse enters and the chorus draws near, the prechorus moves the listener, as if Gramm were begging you to “Come home, come home. Come on back to me”. Continuing this sentiment through the chorus, a full choir of background vocalists add and ethereal element that enforces the sheer power behind the lyrics. My sister and I have a tradition of trying to duplicate the best part of the song (with little success, might I add) – the insane vocals in the latter half of the song. It usually happens during road trips and is likely quite the sight to see two girls just belting it out to each other. The bassline of the fourth track “Juke Box Hero” carries the song from the slow, intense verses through to the energy explosion of the prechorus and into groovy chorus. The tension that these sudden intensity changes create is one of my favourite elements of the song, as it is so choppy and all over the place while maintaining a cohesive groove. “Hot Blooded” and “Cold as Ice” are up next, which I have found ironic since I was young. Just as their polarizing titles suggest, the songs themselves are actually somewhat opposites of each other, with the former being more guitar driven, upbeat and tells the story of the pursuit of a gorgeous lady. The latter, concerning itself with being rejected, is piano based (with a very brief, killer guitar solo) and has a slower tempo. The differing musical elements create completely unique feels between the two songs, expertly evoking the emotion that corresponds to the subject of the lyrics. Despite the fact that is a greatest hits album and therefore wasn’t recorded with a specific concept or overall sound to bind the tracks together, they actually meld really well as a complete record – for example, the seventh track “Head Games” continues on from where the previous one left off even though they were originally released on two separate albums. The second ballad appears around the half way marker, and employs a killer synthesizer lick. Fortified with a jazzy bassline and gentle drum beat, “Waiting for a Girl Like You” is a mostly keys-based song, using a healthy mixture of both piano and synth layers to create a romantic vibe. With its release in 1981, I can almost guarantee that this single was the most popular wedding song of its time. Another one of my all-time favourites, “Urgent” completely turns things around with the hastily plucked bass, pulsing synth and saxophone solo that musically reinforce the lyrical content. However, it is the electronic drum fill that truly steals the show, inspiring steering wheel drumming on highways across the nation – or at least among my family.
Contrasting the upbeat verses with the sort of psychedelic chorus that puts you in a trance, “Double Vision” is another favourite, as it is bursting with sonically pleasing bits and pieces. For instance, the guitar melody that subtly walks up and down in the background of the chorus has such an unusual tone that adds to the mystical sound, as does the way the lead vocals are split into the right and left channels. The power ballad to top all power ballads, “I Want to Know What Love Is”, begs for lighters to be waved in unison, all while showcasing Gramm’s incredible vocal control and heartfelt delivery. Again, the chorus is supplemented and uplifted by the inclusion of a choir of multiple part harmonies, and his voice cuts through to allow for some welcomed runs and riffs. Lyrically moving as well, the prechorus is heartbreaking (“In my life there’s been heartache and pain. I don’t know if I can face it again. Can’t stop now, I’ve travelled so far to change this lonely life”) but followed by an optimistic chorus – “I want to know what love is, I want you to show me. I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me”. Maintaining this energy, the twelfth and thirteenth tracks, “Say You Will” and “That Was Yesterday” respectively, once again employ the intensity of Gramm’s voice to imply a sense of urgency and heartbreak as he pleads for answers and forgiveness. With any music from this era, the artist runs the risk of being classified as cheesy or stereotypically “80’s sounding”, however the execution of Foreigner’s songs help the music maintain its integrity through the years – and these songs are a perfect example of that. Both widely utilizing the bright synthesizer common in most 80’s music, they balance it out by layering more grounded guitar and soaring vocals atop it. “I Don’t Want to Live Without You” is a simple, low key love song, proving that sometimes less is more. Very stripped back compared to the other ballads they present on this record, it provides listeners with a bit of a palate cleanser before the last few, upbeat tracks play. I have always loved the vocal tone and melody of the chorus in “Rev on the Red Line”, balancing the wistful higher notes with perfect vocal control. Of course, it immediately reminds me of my dad too with the use of car lingo – I seriously love the nostalgia of really listening and reflecting upon these songs. Closing out the seventeen track collection are two strong singles. The first, “Dirty White Boy”, is a playful tune with a sleazy blues inspired guitar riff, followed by the poppy, synth and organ covered hit “Feels Like the First Time”. And trust me, the irony of this last pairing isn’t lost on me either…
Overall Impression:
Aside from the obvious nostalgia this album brings, “The Very Best…and Beyond” still remains one of my absolute favourites to revisit every now and again. Best described with the single word “power”, both the musical and vocal elements make an impact on the listener – physically and emotionally. Between the pounding drums, driving guitar, groovy bass undertones and insane vocal range, each song possesses at least one of these characteristics that make it unmistakably Foreigner.
Foreigner on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/foreigner/id564219
“Double Vision” live video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t13mQmeIM8g
“Juke Box Hero” live video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAUOx4lpt24